For the Love of Vivaldi
by ChelleyBean
Summary: AU - what if Bella and Edward had a common love before they fell in love with one another? Rating may change depending on how the story develops.
1. Chapter 1

_Just a rabid plot bunny spawned out of my music teacher's sudden desire that I learn how to play Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. As usual, I own nothing. Ms. Meyer own Twilight and Vivaldi was a genius against whom I could never hope to compete. Also, special thanks to Daddys Little Cannibal for putting up with me and betaing my story. I hope you enjoy._

* * *

I don't know why people have garage sales on Friday. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. Don't most people have jobs that require they work on Friday? And why would you have one in January? It's freezing!

Still, there was a garage sale going on at a small house that I drove past on my way to school. I wouldn't have bothered stopping had it not been for the music stand. It was one of those heavy brass ones shaped to resemble a lyre. I'd always loved them but they were usually cost more than I could afford. There was no need to put down extra money for a fancy music stand when the folding aluminum stand I had was perfectly serviceable.

I pulled over by the driveway and shut off the engine. The truck's too-loud motor rumbled down to silence. The curtain in the front window moved aside a little as someone with glasses and a head of white hair peeked out. I smiled and waved before walking over to the music stand to get a closer look. It was in good shape, very good shape. Only a few scratches in the surface and a couple peeling, fading stickers from cities like Seattle and Vancouver.

The door to the house opened and a stooped, elderly woman came out wearing a thick coat. "Can I help you with anything, Sweetie?"

"Yeah," I gave her another smile. "How much for this music stand?"

She was walking up to me, still pulling her gloves onto her knotted fingers. "Oh, that was my brother's stand. He played violin. Never was brilliant at it, but he did enjoy playing." She considered the stand carefully. "I could let it go for… five dollars?"

Bonus! "I'll take it." I started rummaging through my bag for my wallet.

"Do you play?"

I nodded as I found my money. "Violin actually, I've played since I was seven." I took out a five-dollar bill and handed it over. "Thank you. I've wanted one of these for ages."

"My pleasure, Sweetie." Her eyes considered me. "Maybe you would like some music to go with it?" She pointed over to an old, battered suitcase. "That thing is stuffed with it. I'm letting it go for twenty-five cents apiece, but I could let you have the entire thing for another five dollars."

I cast a curious look at the brown and red plaid case. "Can I glance through it first?"

"Of course, help yourself."

I smiled and walked over. The latches were old and didn't work as well as they probably had when they were new, but I managed to get them open eventually. The inside truly was stuffed with sheet music. Most of it was yellowed from age and there were notations and markings on much of it from where the past owner had scribbled down thoughts and reminders. Mozart. Beethoven. Wagner. I held my breath in reverence as I read the names of some of the greatest musical geniuses throughout time.

Then, about halfway down in my quick perusal I came across a true gem. 'The Four Seasons,' Vivaldi's most well-known and beloved work. I slid it out carefully so I wouldn't send any of the sheets flying with the wind, I opened the thick piece. It had the piano accompaniment with the violin part tucked inside. The complete work!

I grinned and put it back, shutting the case. "I'll take the lot." The woman smiled at me warmly as I handed her another five-dollar bill. Slinging my bag over my shoulder I carried the battered suitcase in one hand and my new stand in the other, hauling them over to my truck. Angling the stand just so I could get it in the front seat rather than putting it in the bed of the truck. The suitcase I wedged between the stand and the seat.

I waved goodbye to the woman as she watched me leave from the front step of the house and got back on my way to school. I hadn't taken too much time and would still be there at least five minutes before the bell sounded. Of course, that meant I'd get stuck with a lousy parking space.

When I reached the school I found that it wasn't a concern at all. The police were there, along with an ambulance. Frowning, I pulled into a space not too far from the nearest police cruiser and strained to see what was going on through the front window. It looked as though Tyler Crowley's van had lost its traction and careened into someone else's. Students milled about on the sidewalk in groups, watching.

A knock on my window made me jump. It was Charlie. I rolled down the glass. "Is everyone all right?"

"Yeah, should be fine, but where have you been? I about had a heart attack when I didn't see your truck here!"

I blushed. "Sorry. There was a garage sale going on and I stopped to check it out." I jerked my thumb towards the suitcase and music stand. "Sorry I scared you."

Charlie let out a breath. "It's all right. I'm just glad you're okay."

"How's Tyler?"

He turned back to the ambulance, but he was still talking to me. "He's a little banged up. They're taking him to the hospital to get checked out. The other car was empty."

That was good. Charlie gave my arm a pat through the open window before walking off. I rolled the glass back up and prepared to go in. I was just about to open the door to the truck when my eyes flicked back to the suitcase. On impulse, I reached over and cracked it open just far enough to retrieve the Vivaldi. I could look it over between classes and during lunch. It might just be enough to tide me over until I could get back home and actually try to play it.

Closing the suitcase back, I slipped the Vivaldi in with my notebooks and headed into the school. I played the full concerto inside my head as I walked, remembering the piece from a CD that Renee often liked to play. Beautiful. Light. Bouncy.

At least, that's how 'Spring' always sounded to me. The other seasons all have their own flair.

Several students were gone. Tyler was rather popular so there were a lot of kids who went to the hospital to wait for the news. Classes carried on as normal with those who remained behind. When I got to the cafeteria for lunch I found the entire crowd I usually sat with gone. They must have all went to check on Tyler.

That was fine by me. I would enjoy the solitude for once.

I got an apple, some cheese and crackers and a bottle of diet soda before finding a place to sit. Pushing my books out of the way, I pulled out the Vivaldi and slid the violin piece out. The paper cracked at the spine when I opened it and the pages were unblemished from any notations or scribbling. It didn't look as though the previous owner had ever gotten around to tackling it and I wondered how long it had been shut up inside that suitcase.

The black notes on the paper were meant mostly to be played on the A and E strings. Vivaldi had been known as a virtuoso of the violin and his work was always complex and beautiful. I ran over the fingerings in my mind, frowning a bit as I noted that early in the piece I would have to move from first to third positions. In fact, it looked like there were a lot of second and third position fingerings. I could do it, of course, but it wouldn't be entirely comfortable. I didn't have a decent shoulder rest, just an old dish sponge held onto my violin with a rubber band. It wasn't enough to keep the violin from digging into my collarbone.

I would have to see if there was a music store in Port Angeles. If not, I might have to go to Olympia or Seattle, but that was a long way to travel for a twenty or thirty dollar shoulder rest. If the school was big enough they could afford a strings program I could have hit up the orchestra director for one, but it was hardly big enough to have a band. Perhaps I could combine it with a shopping trip to beef up my wardrobe and make it more Forks, Washington friendly.

"Vivaldi?"

The voice took me by surprise. Looking up I found Edward Cullen standing next to me, his lunch tray in hand and his eyes on the sheet music before me. "Uhm… yeah, 'The Four Seasons'."

How had I forgotten about Edward Cullen? He'd been in my nearly every waking thought since the first time I had seen him, had been on my mind even more after he had returned from wherever and had actually tried being civil to me. Yet now that I was looking at him I realized he hadn't entered my thoughts once since I found that garage sale. It looked like music still outranked boys in the life of Bella Swan.

Edward was looking at me. "Do you play?"

I nodded. "Violin. Since I was seven." His eyes moved back down to the sheet music. "Do you?"

"Piano, for as long as I can remember."

Of course he played piano. He was perfect, wasn't he? I could never quite get the hang of the bass clef, let alone having one hand play one set of notes while the other did something completely different. "That's cool."

I looked back down at the music in front of me, but I looked back up when he sat down across from me. "I've never played this before. I love Vivaldi, but high school strings programs usually play watered down versions."

"That's because few high school students would have the skill level required to play something like this." He studied me. "Are you certain you want to tackle it?"

I bristled a bit. "Positive."

"That good, are you?"

I narrowed my eyes a bit. "Better than most, I took quite a few awards."

I thought a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched me. It was gone as quickly as it came before he reached out and touched his fingertips to the piano part. "May I borrow this?"

I blinked. The Vivaldi was _my_ treasure! I found it! I got out of my heated truck to brave the freezing cold and icy walkways to get it! Why didn't he go get his own copy! "Uhm… sure."

Damnit.

The booklet of sheet music spun out of sight so quickly I would almost have sworn it had never been there. "Thanks. I'm rather fond of Vivaldi myself." He did smile this time. "Don't worry. I'll give it back."

I scowled at him. "You better."

He chuckled. He seemed to find my attitude amusing. Stupid music thief that can afford to drive around in a shiny Volvo but can't be bothered to find his own sheet music.

He got back up from the table, _my_ Vivaldi tucked under one arm and his lunch tray balanced in the other. I watched him toss his uneaten meal and walk out, thinking all the while that if Edward Cullen knew what was good for him, he'd make damn sure that piece of music was still in pristine condition when he gave it back to me.

You do _not_ mess up another musician's treasures.


	2. Chapter 2

I went home immediately after school. Charlie wouldn't get in until sometime between five and six, so I had quite a bit of time to myself. I had decided that morning that we'd have roast for dinner, not knowing at the time how convenient that would be. The hunk of meat had completely thawed during the day and once I put it in a cooking bag with some potatoes, carrots and celery I could leave it in the oven to cook without having to pay it too much attention.

Now it was just my new love interest and I. I wrestled the heavy music stand up to my room, finding it a bit awkward with my book bag and the battered suitcase tying up my other hand. I did manage to get it there without banging up the walls, however. The stand looked a bit high-classed in my plain room, gleaming golden under the light. I loved it. The heavy metal would be harder for me to knock over in a bought of clumsiness. Something I had done a time or two… or three.

I put the suitcase down by the wall and dropped my book bag onto my desk. Without the thicker, covered piano music to protect it, I had put the violin music inside my trig folder for safekeeping. Now I pulled it back out, unable to keep from smiling as I looked it over.

Turning to my desk, I opened the drawer where I kept my CDs and flipped through them until I found the one I was looking for. It was a recording of 'The Four Seasons' with Janine Jansen as the primary violinist. It was my favorite version. They had only used one instrument for each part rather than a full orchestra, making it lighter in sound and easier to pick out the individual pieces. I put the CD into my player and put on my headphones, listening to how the piece was supposed to sound while following along with the music written on the page.

'The Four Seasons' is actually four different concertos that can be played individually or together. Each concerto has three distinct sections. Most everyone has heard one or more of the concertos whether they realized it or not. Even though they were written nearly three hundred years ago, they are still highly popular.

The first concerto is 'Spring', and as I said before it was mostly light and bouncy. My eyes moved along with the music, taking note of the changes in dynamics and melody. There were short trills meant to mimic the songs of birds followed by runs of sixteenth notes tied together that were meant to represent flowing fountains in a cool breeze. A section subtitled 'Thunder' started with a mass of thirty-second notes followed by yet more sixteenth notes. Then the 'storm' ended and the birds returned with their songs.

And that was just the first two pages. I shut off the CD and looked over the music, wondering if I might have bitten off more than I could chew, only to dismiss that thought. I would just have to take this in pieces. I'd start with these first two pages that made up the first movement of the first concerto and get them hammered down before moving on to the next part. I hadn't really expected this to be easy, after all. I set my CD player down next to my bed and got up to put the music onto my new stand. Picking up my violin case I opened it on the bed.

She was scarred and scratched from years of use and likely more than her fair share of neglect, but I loved my violin. Mom had found her for me in a pawnshop in Phoenix. She looked so pathetic that he sold it to her for about fifty bucks. The original case she had come in had even been in bad shape, with the black over coating coming off and the red pressboard underneath deteriorating so badly that I couldn't pick it up without getting some of it on my clothes. She didn't even come with a bow. Mom had picked up a new hard case and a new bow on sale at a little music shop down the street from our home.

What had been started because she had dated a music teacher who offered to give me lessons for half-price had proven to be the best thing she had ever done for me. I'd been horrible at first, like all children just learning, but after the first time I had made actual music rather than something that sounded like a tortured cat, I had fallen in love. Even after they had split up, my teacher had kept me on at the same price, saying that I had too much natural talent not to keep me on.

He hadn't even minded my beaten up violin. As he put it, it wasn't how shiny or visually attractive the instrument was; it was all in the sound. She was old, though we didn't know how old because the label inside of her had worn away so long ago that it was no longer legible, and the great thing about wooden instruments is that they got better with age. The wood cures and ages, making the tones richer as time moves on. She might have been less-than-pretty, but she sang like an angel.

Once I got up into high enough grades that there was a strings program at school, I found myself sitting first chair. That was also when the competitions began and I was able to take part in various citywide and statewide events. I'd played in the all-state orchestra, taking first chair there as well, and my room back in Phoenix had several trophies and plaques decorating the walls.

The fact that Forks didn't have a strings program had almost been enough to make me change my mind about coming here. I had known I would miss it, but I hadn't realized just how much I would miss it. Eventually I had decided that I would just have to carry on by myself, because I was not going to give this part of my life up.

I tightened the bow and added more rosin then took up my violin and put her underneath my chin. The D string was a smidge flat, something easily remedied, but otherwise she was still in perfect tune. Turning my eyes to the opened piece of music I put the bow against the strings and dove in.

I took it slow at first, just a little faster than half the speed called for in order to familiarize myself with the notes and fingerings. As I had expected it was a little uncomfortable to hold the violin securely as my hand moved from first to third position and I vowed again to get a decent shoulder rest.

After running through those first two pages about three or four times, I dared to pick up the speed a bit. My fingers quickly remembered how to move with the flow of the notes and though I made more than a few mistakes I felt the warmth and comfort of beautiful music wrapping around me. I didn't even notice how much time had passed until my hands began to cramp and my fingers ached from pressing against the strings.

I looked at the clock by my bed and saw that I had been at it for more than an hour. With a sigh I placed my violin back in her case and left it open on my bed to go down and check on dinner. The scent of roast had spread out to fill the entire downstairs floor and reminding my stomach that it was hungry. Charlie was just pulling into the drive as I was taking the roast out of the oven and putting in a few brown-and-serve rolls to warm.

"That smells wonderful, Bells." He hung up his gun and his jacket before moving to the sink to wash his hands. "Tyler was checked out by the doctors. They want to keep him overnight just to be safe but he should be fine."

"That's good to hear. Most of his friends were absent today after the wreck. I figured they were all at the hospital."

"You're right. They took up most of the waiting room." He got out the plates and silverware for us as I cut open the cooking bag and carved up the small roast. "How was your day?"

"It was good. That garage sale I told you about? The woman had a whole suitcase stuffed with violin music. She sold me the whole thing for five bucks."

I heard him chuckle behind me. "That's my favorite virtuoso." He came up behind me and gave me a warm hug. "I'm sorry you pulled up stakes to move somewhere without an orchestra, Bells. I tried to find a violin teacher before you go here, but there's not one in town. We might look in Port Angeles or Olympia if you want."

It had merit, other than the cost of running my truck up there once a week. "I'll be fine, Charlie. I can practice the studies on my own at this point. And I'll be watching the colleges for audition times next year. I was thinking I would aim for a music scholarship if I could." He looked a bit sad as he filled his plate with roast and potatoes. "What is it?"

Charlie sighed. "I'm sorry we couldn't afford to send you to one of those private music schools, Bells. Heaven knows you had the talent and determination for it. You deserved to go."

Yeah, I remember that. Renee and Charlie both had wanted to send me someplace geared towards serious music students perhaps even Europe, but it just wasn't something any of us had the money for. It had been heartbreaking, but I had understood. "It's all right, Dad. I managed just fine without it."

He put on a brave smile as I pulled out the rolls and we sat down to dinner. "So I suppose you've already been going through some of it."

I grinned and nodded. "I've been upstairs practicing for the past hour. I had to stop before I burned the roast." He laughed and reached for a roll, spreading it with a little butter before biting in.

* * *

The next day Edward sat with his family during lunch as usual. I sat with Jessica and the others who were all buzzing about poor Tyler. He would be gone from school a few days, but he should be fine. Mike would be taking his assignments to him.

I got to Biology and took my usual seat next to Edward. I thought he might have given me a ghost of a smile as I joined him before scooting his chair a bit away from me. I told myself not to be offended. If he had that many personal space issues, it was his stupid problem, not mine, though I did have to fight the urge to scoot my seat closer to him just to annoy him.

The lesson was again something I had already covered and it was hard to pay attention. About halfway through the class I heard Edward's musical voice drift towards me.

"Did you get around to practicing last night?"

Iglanced sideways at him. "A bit, did you?" We were keeping our voices low so as to avoid detection.

"A bit," he copied in reply. We fell silent for a while, pretending to listen to the teacher. "How far did you get?"

"Only the first section of 'Spring'. I'm taking it in stages." I saw his head bob with a nod and was quiet another few seconds. "How far did you get?"

"Quite a bit further than the first section," I thought I could detect a hint of amusement in his undertone. Of course he got further. He was perfect at everything, wasn't he? After a bit he amended with, "Of course the piano part isn't nearly as complex as the violin. Vivaldi did like to push himself."

There was that. "He was considered a virtuoso. You don't get that kind of status without pushing yourself."

"True."

We fell silent again, pretending to pay attention to the lesson. I was pretty sure that Edward was as bored as I. Sure enough, a few moments later he leaned over slightly to murmur again.

"I was speaking with Mr. Jonas. He was surprised to learn you were a violinist."

"I didn't bother to say anything after I found out we don't have a strings program."

He nodded. "Well, anyway, I told him we were working on the Vivaldi and he said that we could use the music room after school if we wanted. He usually stays an hour or so after school to do prep work, and they have a piano in there for the choir."

I paused and gave him a look. "You mean practice together?"

He gave a crooked smile. "Well, the arrangement _is_ for violin with piano _accompaniment_."

That smile made my breath catch in my throat. It took a second to shake free of whatever spell Edward Cullen was trying to cast on me. I had to remind myself that this was the music moocher who couldn't be bothered to get his own copies. "Sure, sounds great."

The smile stayed in place. I thought he looked… pleased. "Good, tomorrow then?" I nodded mutely. "I look forward to it."

I didn't remember what the teacher might have said through the rest of class. My mind just wasn't on it.


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Jonas was the school's combination band and choir director. He was a lanky man with a receding hairline and wire-rimmed glasses, but behind those glasses was a pair of kind, humor-filled eyes. He smiled brightly in my direction when I arrived at the music room the next morning to drop off my violin. I couldn't leave her in the car because extremes of hot and cold could be damaging to her. He promised to keep her safe and sound inside his office until I came back for her after my last class.

I pushed myself to make it through classes, no matter how mundane they were. Trig kept me busy but English was nothing that I hadn't already covered in Phoenix. Lunch was spent with me trying to keep track of Jessica and Lauren as they gabbed on about clothes and shoes while sneaking the occasional look towards the Cullens. Or, more specifically, sneaking looks at Edward. He seemed oblivious to the attention.

Biology was a further study of cellular structures and how they interacted with one another in multi-cellular organisms. Most of it I knew already so I wasn't actually listening all that closely to the lecture when Edward's warm voice broke through my thoughts.

"Did you remember to bring your violin?"

I gave a slight jump in surprise, but recovered quickly. "Yeah, Mr. Jonas let me keep her in his office until after school."

I heard him chuckle. "Her? You've given it a personality?"

My scowl was meant for him even though I was looking at my notebook. "I'm very fond of Esmerelda."

"You've given it a name, even." I thought I could hear a note of delight in his voice. "Do you talk to it as well?"

"Of course not! I'm not crazy." I was trying hard not to smile. His humor was infectious. Keeping my eyes towards the front of the class, I could see him leaning over towards me. I shivered, but it wasn't from the cold that seemed to radiate from him as much as it was from the scent of him. It made me dizzy.

The sound of his voice when he spoke again didn't help, either. "I hope you're planning to properly introduce me to Esmerelda today."

I swallowed, "Only if you behave yourself."

"Then I shall be on my very best behavior. I'm curious to see if you're as good as you say you are." I reminded myself that he was only talking about my skills at the violin and that there was no double entendre implied. Seventeen-year-olds weren't sophisticated enough to be skilled at double entendre. Or at least they shouldn't be, but something about Edward's voice made me shiver again, sending tingles shooting to places that really should be left alone during school hours.

I swallowed again and scooted my chair a bit away from him. I heard him chuckle and shot him what was supposed to be a quelling look, not daring to let my eyes linger too long lest they be captured by his own. I was not going to be reduced to some simpering groupie like some of the other girls who stared his way. Not for a boy who could seem to make up his mind whether or not he even wanted to associate with me half the time.

I suffered through the rest of Biology in silence; grateful to escape Edward Cullen and the unnatural affect he had on me when the bell rang. I didn't even mind going to gym if it meant getting far enough away from Edward and his intoxicating scent long enough to regain my senses. I was too busy making an idiot of myself in my poor attempt at playing basketball to think about spending time with Edward after school.

All too soon, however, it came to the end of the day and I found myself torn between the desire to play and the urge to avoid my 'accompanist' in an attempt to maintain my dignity. Perversely enough, however, I also had a desire to be near Edward _because_ he played fast and loose on my equilibrium.

Hormones suck.

I made my way to the building where the music room could be found. Mr. Jonas' office door was still open and I found him sitting at his desk looking over a catalogue of band uniforms. It must have been getting close to time for the school to get new ones. He looked up and said 'hello' to me as I picked up my violin case from where it sat by the inside wall.

When I stepped back out of his office I saw that Edward had arrived. He was standing at the piano setting up his… my… sheet music. How had he gotten in without my hearing him? Did he ever make a sound other than answering the occasional question posed by a teacher?

Did he ever _not_ look like he just stepped off of the cover of some fashion magazine?

Willing my heart not to speed up and my stomach not to have butterflies, I made my way as carefully as possible down the wide sections of descending rows that lead to the area in front of the triple chalk board. Once I had managed to make it without tripping, falling or otherwise embarrassing myself I set my case across a couple of chairs and flipped open the latches. Edward moved away from the piano long enough to grab one of the black metal music stands, the same kind used in every high school across the country, and brought it closer to the piano. He raised it up to standing height before pulling my copy of the sheet music free from my folders and setting it up.

I didn't notice all of this until I had straightened back up with Esmerelda in my hands. "Uh… thank you." He sent a crooked smile my way and I scolded my heart for speeding up.

"Is that her?" His eyes moved to the nicked and scarred instrument in my hand.

"Yeah, this is my BFF, Esmerelda." How nerdy did I sound? His smile widened as he reached out for her. I frowned but let him take her from my hands and watched as he used the piano to tune her. "You play the violin, too?"

"No, but I know enough to tune one." She wasn't that far off so he was handing her back after hardly any time at all. "Shall we start out slow or jump right in?"

"I can take it at tempo." I tightened my bow and added rosin. Edward sat down and ran his fingers over the tops of the keys.

"Whenever you're ready, then."

A dozen worries flitted through my mind. What if I suddenly lost all ability to play the violin? What if my strings broke when I started to play? What if my clumsiness reared its annoying head and sent my bow flying into Edward's ear? What if I made a complete and total fool of myself?

Then I pulled the bow across the strings and all those worried dissolved in an instant.

The music room was designed to have better acoustics than the after classroom or even my bedroom. Each note was crystal clear as it blossomed, filling the air with sound. The violin part alone was beautiful, though I might have been a bit prejudiced, but the addition of the piano rounded out everything. Edward hadn't been kidding when he had said he could play. Under his fingers the piano seemed to sing. If I hadn't been so busy playing Esmerelda I would have been jealous.

Spring wrapped around us, filling the room. Both of us were so caught up in our playing we were unaware of Mr. Jonas watching from just outside of his office door until he started clapping as we played the last note. I couldn't keep from giving a small yelp of surprise. I thought I heard Edward chuckle behind me.

Mr. Jonas smiled at the pair of us. "Now I'm glad that I let the two of you practice here. It's a shame that we don't have a class that would put your talents to use." I felt my cheeks heat up as Edward thanked Mr. Jonas for his help. "I hate to cut this short, but my wife just called. She's pregnant and craving ice cream and bratwurst. And like an obedient husband, I must answer her summons."

"That's very understandable, Mr. Jonas." Edward's voice was smooth, like velvet. "Thank you, again, for letting us use the room."

"My pleasure," He turned to go back into his office, but paused. "Actually, if the pair of you wouldn't mind, would you care to play something together at the Spring concert this year?"

I was no stranger to performing, of course, but I wasn't one to show off. I looked over at Edward who had a carefully guarded expression. "I will need to check with my parents first. We may have plans as a family for that weekend."

"Of course, it's just a request. Both of you take time to think it over, but I'll need your answer at least two weeks before the show." He gave us both a smile and walked back into his office, presumably to gather up his things before heading out.

Practice over; I secured Esmerelda back into her case. When I turned around I found that Edward had already put up both sets of sheet music and was holding my books as well as his. "Thanks… again."

He smiled that crooked smile again and my stomach did a flip-flop. "Come on. I'll walk you to your truck."

Mr. Jonas locked the music room behind us, walking along with us until we got to the parking lot. There he broke off towards the faculty spaces while Edward and I headed towards student parking. I could see a person-shaped something sitting on my hood and thought I heard Edward give a muffled grumble. As we drew closer I saw that it was his sister, Alice. She grinned and waved at us once we reached the truck.

"Alice, I thought you went home with the others."

"I needed to use the library so I told them I'd catch a ride with you." She hopped off the hood of my truck and landed before me with unnatural grace. "Hi, I'm Alice."

"Hi… I'm Bella."

She grinned brightly. "I know." Her topaz eyes looked me over from head to toe, a little smirk on her lips. Edward made an impatient noise from beside me. "So when are you bringing her home to meet Carlisle and Esme?"

My jaw dropped. "Oh… it's not like that." I cast a look to Edward for help, but he was too busy glaring at his sister. "We're not together… me and Edward I mean."

Alice was now smirking at Edward. "I was just thinking about Esme. She loves classical music. Has Edward play for her all the time." Somehow I didn't quite believe her 'innocent' reason.

Edward gave a sigh and set me books atop the hood of the truck. "Thank you for taking the time to practice with me, Bella. I'll check with Mr. Jonas to see when we can have the room again." He reached out and took Alice by the elbow, steering her away from me and moving towards the silver Volvo parked about ten spaces away.

"Yeah… that'd be great." I watched them walk away, noticing that Edward turned his head slightly towards Alice. He must have said something to her because she gave an amused laugh that flowed like water. "Bye." The shorter girl turned around and waved farewell in my direction with the arm not being manhandled by her brother.

He got her into the car and I could see that she was still grinning like the Cheshire cat. Edward was looking more and more surly. Suddenly I was reminded to be thankful that I was an only child. Neither of them looked my way as Edward drove the Volvo out of the parking lot.

The cold finally got to me enough that I remembered I was still standing by my truck rather than getting in and going someplace warm. I sighed and unlocked the door, reaching over to set my violin case into the floorboard of the passenger side. "Time to go home." Yeah, home. Time to fix dinner for Charlie, do my homework and, if there was time left over, practice. And maybe, just maybe, figure out why a certain bronze-haired Adonis managed to play havoc with my equilibrium without even trying.


	4. Chapter 4

It was another week before Mr. Jonas could remain after school long enough that we could stay in the music room after school. However, he was more than happy to let us use it during lunch. I was all for it, but after my stomach made its presence known the first time, Edward would only agree if I ate something first. No, seriously, he was a tyrant about it! He would actually pick up a sandwich from the cafeteria and shove it into my hands, refusing to let me into the music room until I had wolfed it down. After my protests fell on deaf ears the first four times I eventually gave in and just ate the damn sandwich when he handed it to me.

We were moving through 'Spring' quite well. After we had managed to get through all the movements we continued tweaking to polish the sound. There's more to playing music than just putting out notes. There are dynamics of increasing and decreasing volume, subtle variances that are supposed to color the thoughts of the audience and, of course, every musician interprets a piece in their own way.

Which can, at times, cause problems.

"That's not how it was intended to be played."

"That's not how the person who wrote this arrangement intended it to be played, but that doesn't mean my idea is wrong."

Edward folded his arms over his chest. "The fact that your idea is wrong means your idea is wrong."

"The section is supposed to represent flowing waters, like in a creek bed or stream. The volume of flowing water isn't static. Pebbles, boulders, fallen trees, natural bends in the bed itself, all those things can cause changes in the speed of the flow and can make it sound softer or louder."

"The music isn't written to be static. There are changes in dynamics. The crescendos and decrescendos are already there."

Yeah, like I couldn't read that for myself. "I want to play it with a few more. And, at the risk of sounding like a pushy, stuck-up prima donna, since the violin is the 'star' of this arrangement I should at least be allowed to try it out."

Edward threw up his hands. "Fine. We'll try it your way."

"Thank you." I shook my head in irritation as he straightened up to put his fingers on the piano keys again. I let him count off as usual. It was easier to speak when you didn't have a violin under your chin.

We played the piece through, this time with me ignoring a good portion of the writing to add my own style. I closed my eyes and let the music take over, picturing a forest stream in my head, the water dancing and bubbling over smooth rocks and the backs of playful fish. There was no doubt in my mind that Edward would keep up with my changes. In spite of the occasional spat, he was a masterful pianist, as wasted in Forks as I. We would both likely bleed music were we to be cut.

We reached the end of the section and I let the last note fade before opening my eyes and taking Esmerelda from my shoulder. Edward's expression was a bit mulish. "Well?"

He flicked an annoyed look in my direction. "You were right." I almost missed the corner of his mouth twitching. A light went on inside my head.

"You!" He lost his fight with hiding his amusement and started to chuckle. "You were just giving me a hard time!"

Edward gave a shrug, looking completely unrepentant. "I was curious as to whether or not you'd stand up for your art." He flashed one of those perfect smiles that I really should have been getting used to by now, but wasn't. "We should pack up. It's almost time for class."

I checked the clock on the wall behind me and sighed. This was far more interesting than class, but I couldn't ditch. The sound of hard plastic clicking on wood brought my head back around. Edward had picked up my case from where I had set it down and opened it atop the piano so I could pack up. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He started securing the sheet music as I put Esmerelda back into her case. When I latched the case I saw that he was watching me with something akin to hesitation.

"What is it?"

His mouth opened briefly before closing with a sigh. He took a breath and tried again. "My mother wants to know if we could come by your house for a visit so that we can play for her."

I blinked. "Oh." It shouldn't have surprised me, not after his sister had mentioned that their mother liked classical music. "We… don't have a piano." I gave a shrug. "I'm really the only one who was musically inclined."

"Ah… of course." He seemed relieved. Surely he was used to playing for Mrs. Cullen.

"Don't you have one? We could play at your house."

"I'm… not certain that's a good idea. It gets… hectic. Five teenagers under one roof… tempers fly."

It felt like a weak excuse. Charlie said that the Cullen children were all well behaved, never causing a lick of trouble, and I seriously doubted that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were abusive towards any of them. Perhaps he just didn't want me in his home. The thought stung more than it probably should have.

"Well, we'll figure it out."

He nodded. "We will." He summoned a smile that I didn't quite believe. "Esme never lets me get by very long without playing for her. She enjoys it too much."

That sounded familiar. "My mom was like that. I think she had visions of me landing first chair in a major symphony orchestra."

"With the way you play, that wouldn't be a hard dream to hold onto." Now the smile was genuine. "You really are exceptional, Bella."

The pang over what I had perceived earlier as rejection was replaced with warmth. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and my looked down quickly. The opinion of a teenager wasn't the same as the opinion of a world famous director, of course, but for some reason Edward's compliments seemed priceless to me. "I manage."

He chuckled. "You more than 'manage', but I'll stop embarrassing you before you go up in flames."

I scowled and tried to smack him with my copy of the sheet music. I missed, of course. He was always too quick for me. "Let's go before I give in to the urge to hit you over the head with my violin."

He laughed as he held the door for me. "You'd never do that."

"You're right. You're so hard headed you'd probably break her."

~***~

The rest of the day crawled by with excruciating slowness. Perhaps it was because of the seemingly perpetual grayness of the skies and the frequent rainfall. It was difficult for me to be anything less than down when I wasn't playing. If I did my own compositions, everything I came up with would likely be dreary and sad.

But all things must end, so soon I was able to escape along with the rest of the students. I stopped by the music room to grab Esmerelda and had just stepped out into the hall when a short figure stopped me. "Hi, Bella!"

I blinked. "Hi, Alice." My eyes darted to the blond coming up behind her. "And… Jasper, right?" He nodded. "If you're looking for Edward, I haven't seen him since Biology."

Alice gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "He's waiting for us at the car. It won't kill him. I wanted to see you. I got you something."

I frowned a bit. "You got me something?" Why? "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know I didn't _have_ to. I wanted to." She opened her bag and reached inside. A second later she was extending something to me. "Here. Edward mentioned you probably needed one of these."

I looked at the object in her hand. It was a black velvet back with 'Kun' printed on it. I accepted the bag and opened the drawstring to find a shoulder rest. "Oh… yes… I was planning to get one of these but I hadn't had time to go looking for one."

Alice gave a flick of her wrist. "I figured as much. I was shopping in Seattle and ran across a music store." She grinned. "So, will it work?"

"Yeah, it should do fine. I can pay you back."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't accept. It's a _gift_. Besides, I'm just happy Edward finally has a playmate. You're doing the whole family a great service already." Her smile returned as Jasper looked a bit uncomfortable behind her. Of course, he always looked like he might be in pain. "So, when are you two going to play for us?"

"We talked about that today, but Ch… Dad and I don't have a piano. And Edward didn't seem comfortable with inviting me over to your place."

A scowl touched Alice's usually playful and perfect features. I thought I heard her mutter something that sounded like 'idiot' before she banished the sour expression. "I'm sure it will all work out. Esme has been asking how things are coming along. Edward's great on his own with just the piano, of course, and he's got a good singing voice when he bothers to use it, but man cannot live by piano alone."

The paraphrasing made me smile and I had to break off a giggle. Alice seemed pleased that she had gotten that much out of me. "Jasper and I should go. Edward gets cranky if he has to wait too long. He might leave without us."

I blinked. "He wouldn't!"

Jasper nodded. "He would." It was the first time I had heard him speak. His voice had the same velvet quality as Edward's, only in a different pitch. "It was nice meeting you, Bella."

"Same here." I watched them leave, Jasper's arm around Alice's shoulder. She seemed delicate next to him, but I got the feeling that he would rather cut off his own arms than hurt the pretty little pixie by his side. The affection that they had for one another was almost visible in the air and I felt a stab of longing go through me.

My fingers pulled the drawstring of the velvet bag snug once more. I needed to hurry home so I could try out the shoulder rest. No more wilted dish sponges for Bella and Esmerelda.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday night was spaghetti night, mainly because I had been craving it all week. The recipe I used was one I'd learned from our next-door neighbor back in Phoenix. Dice up one medium yellow sweet onion, one large green bell pepper, one whole bulb of garlic. Toss that into a large skillet with two pounds of lean ground beef and cook over medium heat until the meat it thoroughly brown. Switch that over to a slow cooker and add about three or four cans of diced tomatoes that already have basil, oregano and yet more garlic mixed in, and add a small can of tomato paste. Stir in about a tablespoon of honey to cut down the tinny taste from the canned tomatoes and a couple of cubes of beef bullion, and then go to school. The meat sauce simmers all day in the slow cooker on low and later when you start the water to boil for the noodles, toss in a couple of can of mushrooms, juice and all. I had no idea of how to make it a smaller size so I usually ended up freezing left over sauce that would then last out most of a month. That was all right. I loved the stuff.

"Wow, Bells. That smells amazing!" Charlie hung up his coat and his gun before coming into the kitchen. He lifted the lid off of the slow cooker and leaned over to inhale the aroma, a smile on this face. I had his rarely used eight-quart pot out and was filling it with water for the noodles. I would have preferred fresh pasta, but the prices as the grocery store were outrageous. I settled for the usual dried angel hair pasta instead. I'd already tossed in the mushrooms. The liquid from them really pulled all the flavors of the sauce together.

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm glad you thought to make this tonight. I forgot to mention that Billy and Jacob are coming over to watch the game. I was just going to order pizza, but this is way better. We may not be able to get them to go back home."

"Good thing I bought the big bag of pasta, then." I set the water on to boil and started working on some garlic bread. I'd already put together a nice spinach salad for a little greenery; though I figured Billy and I would probably be the only one to eat any of it. I knew Charlie didn't care for salad and Jacob didn't strike me as the health conscious type. With his diabetes, however, Billy would have to watch how much pasta he ate.

They showed up just as the water was at a full boil. Charlie let them in and I heard them talking just inside the front door as I added the noodles. I was expecting Jacob to come into the kitchen, what teen would want to hang around two old men talking about how the fish were biting, so I didn't get startled when he spoke.

"That smells great, Bella"

"Thanks, Jake. Could you do me a favor and get the bread out of the oven? The mitt is hanging by the stove."

"Sure thing." He managed not to burn himself as he pulled out the baking sheet. He probably had to pitch in with the cooking duties at home. "Dad's new truck came in."

"Oh? I didn't know he was getting one."

"Yeah. It's a conversion. There are a lot of non-profit groups that help out people like him. We only had to come up with about ten percent of the cost. It has a lift that comes down and lifts him up behind the wheel. Chair and all."

I stirred the noodles so they wouldn't stick. "Is that safe? How does he keep the chair still?"

"Clamps. They lock onto the chair and hold it tight. He's not fully paralyzed, so normally they would just have a crane system to hoist the chair into the truck bed and he'd use a real seat, but he wanted to keep the bed clear so we could actually use it to haul something if needed."

I grinned. "I guess that means no more worry that Charlie will catch you driving without a license." He grinned back and nodded. I heard some noise from the living room and leaned over to peer through the house. Charlie was getting out the TV trays so we could eat and watch the game at the same time. I wasn't surprised as Billy rolled over and into the kitchen, his lined face creased in a warm smile.

"I hope you didn't go through all this trouble just for us, Bella."

"You're lucky I was craving spaghetti. Charlie forgot to tell me I'd be cooking for four."

Billy chuckled as he watched me pour drain and rinse the pasta. Jacob made his father a plate first, adding a bowl of salad, before making a plate for himself, no salad. I knew better than to give Charlie salad. Such an action would be a waste of perfectly good spinach.

We sat down in the living room so that they Charlie, Billy and Jacob could watch the game. I've never really followed sports all that much so I just ate my dinner, gathered up the empty plates and bowls as they finished, made sure everyone had a refill when their glasses ran empty. The guys were so caught up in their game that they didn't even notice when I stayed in the kitchen to clean up. The action was coming to a close when I came back out to the living room. "Did you win?" I didn't need to ask. They were all too jubilant for their team to have lost.

Jacob stood up from his seat on the small couch by one wall. "You need some help cleaning up?"

"No thanks. I already took care of the kitchen." I moved forward to start taking down the TV trays, but Jake jumped up to help. Billy leaned back in his chair, hands folded over his stomach loosely.

"Excellent dinner, Bella. I'm glad you moved in to take care of your old man, here. It's a miracle he didn't die of starvation before."

Charlie took a playful swipe at Billy's head, clearly not intending to connect. "Keep that up and I'll chuck you over the side of the boat first fishing trip."

Jacob helped me put the trays back onto their storage rack before wheeling them into the coat closet. I had just shut the door when the phone rang. "I'll get it." My fingers wrapped around the receiver and brought it up to my ear. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was sweet, almost lyrical. "Bella Swan?"

"Yeah, that's me." I didn't recognize the voice at all.

"Oh, good. This is Esme Cullen. I believe you know my children."

"Oh! Yeah. Hi, Mrs. Cullen." I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced over. Billy Black had straightened in his chair, his eyes narrowing with… malice? "Is there a problem out your way? Did you need my dad?"

"No, Dear. There's nothing wrong. I was wondering if I might be so bold as to ask a favor of you. I'm helping put together an afternoon tea for the Ladies Auxiliary chapter in Port Angeles and I was wondering if you and Edward would be so kind as to play for us. My son tells me that you do quite well together."

For some reason I wanted to smile. Probably because I could almost see Esme, whom I knew was supposed to be young but I pictured having quite a few deep worry lines (likely caused by dealing with five teenagers) and some gray strands creeping into her hair, being put out with her son when he told her that Charlie and I would not be able to host them for a private recital. I knew Edward didn't want me in their house, for whatever pig-headed reason, so she'd found another way. I'd feel sorry for Edward if I didn't find it kind of funny.

"I don't see why not." I scrambled for a pen or pencil, finding one in the top drawer of the cabinet nearest the phone. "When is it?"

"Three weekends from now, on Saturday, at Freedom Hall. It sounds more impressive than it really is. More of a museum, actually. Will that be enough time for the two of you to prepare?"

I circled the date on the calendar hanging on the wall and wrote in the time. Charlie was watching me, curious. "It should be. Any requests?"

"I'm sure whatever the two of you pick out will be lovely. Thank you for this, Bella. I'm looking forward to hearing the pair of you together. And please tell your father I said hello, would you?"

"Yes, ma'am. I will. Good night." I hung up the phone and penciled in the location. "Hey, Charlie, do you know where Freedom Hall is up in Port Angeles?"

"Sure. It's off the square, about two blocks behind city hall. But that's part of the VFW. You're a little young to be going there."

I grinned, but my grin faded a bit as I caught Billy's still narrowed gaze. "Uh… yeah. That was Mrs. Cullen, Dr. Cullen's wife. She says 'hi', by the way." I quickly filled them in on the conversation. Billy looked agitated, but Charlie's face nearly split in two from his grin.

"That's great, Bella. This could be a real opportunity for you."

Huh? "It's just playing for some old ladies at the VWF."

"Sure, but a good number of them have ties in the community. And the doctor and his wife are also well thought of. It couldn't hurt to have the right people know just how talented you are. It can get the right words to the right ears, which could smooth the way towards getting a good scholarship to some of the more prestigious schools."

Huh. I hadn't thought of it in that way. But now that Charlie had said it aloud, I could see the reasoning. The world of fine music was just like getting up into the higher ranks of medicine, politics and even the military; talent and competence could only take you so far. Eventually you had to roll up your sleeves and play politics. It didn't hurt to have a few face cards in your deck when the time came you needed them.

Billy's gravely voice broke through my musings. "I didn't know you spent time with the Cullens, Bella."

"Billy…" There was suddenly a warning tone to Charlie's voice.

"I just didn't know, Charlie. I was under the impression that the doctor and his family kept to themselves."

There was something going on here. Something I didn't understand. "Edward plays piano and I play violin. The school doesn't really have a program that caters to either so we just practice together in the music room. Usually during lunch and sometimes after class if Mr. Jonas is staying." I shrugged. It wasn't a big deal. At least not to anyone other than myself and the bigger gossips in the school. Jessica thought it was a big deal, and was more than a bit put out whenever I insisted that it was just music.

"So only at school?" Billy's gaze seemed to narrow further.

"Billy, for crying out loud! Don't start this up again! The Cullens are good people, and this town is damn lucky to have someone like Carlisle working at the hospital. There are cities that would pay him a lot more money and offer him a lot more upward mobility than what he faces here."

Billy looked like he wanted to disagree, but seemed to think better about starting a fight with Charlie. So he didn't like the Cullens? Why not? Charlie said that the kids didn't cause him any trouble whatsoever, though statistically speaking they could have been total nightmares for police and teachers alike. Didn't that give testament to just how good at parenting Doctor and Mrs. Cullen were? And though Edward seemed to have more mood swings than a teenage girl under PMS, he was painfully polite. Almost as though he were from another era altogether.

We bade Billy and Jacob goodbye, sending them home with a Tupperware bowl of left over sauce at great cost to my own supply. Charlie took a bit longer to say goodbye to Billy, but mainly because he was too interested in the new truck. Billy walked him through all the bells and whistles and Charlie only stepped away after giving an experimental tug on the latches holding the wheelchair in place. He remained in the yard until the taillights had faded from view.

"What was that all about?" I didn't have to elaborate. Charlie gave a disgruntled look.

"It's nothing, Bells. The tribe just has some old stories that the older members take too seriously. Some of them got it into their heads that Dr. Cullen and his family are dangerous, though they won't give much detail as to why. They even stopped going up to the hospital since Dr. Cullen went to work there. They drive out of their way to Port Angeles or Hoquiam if they need a doctor."

Well, that was odd. Charlie gave a frustrated sigh and shook his head. "Don't worry about it none, Bells. It's just old men being silly." He shook his head again. "I'll be going fishing with Billy tomorrow. You gonna be all right on your own?"

I had to roll my eyes. "I always am, Dad. Besides, it sounds like I'll need to start trying to decide what pieces to practice. I'll probably spend a while on the phone talking it over with Edward."

"Yeah, you probably should. Doesn't sound like you have much time." He smiled. "See if you can get your old man a seat, would you? I'd like to hear you play, too. I draw the line at wearing a dress, though."


	6. Chapter 6

We couldn't possibly get the Vivaldi ready in three weeks. We could probably get through all of it, but polishing it up to performance standards was out of the question. Instead we settled for selecting a few sonatas and a couple of pieces, most of them from the collection in my battered suitcase. Few of them had piano parts included, but Edward turned out to be something of a composer. He made up his own part that complimented the violin perfectly with seemingly little difficulty, and we decided he should have at least one or two pieces that were strictly piano to showcase his own talents as well.

My nervousness increased as the date grew closer, even though I'd performed before. I was always nervous when it came to playing in front of people I knew. It wasn't the same as playing before strangers. Strangers you likely would never see again. Not so with your family or fellow classmates. What if I completely screwed up and Mrs. Cullen hated my playing? Would she forbid Edward from wasting his time practicing with me any longer?

Finally the big day arrived. My first official Washington performance. A million butterflies had emerged from their cocoons right inside my stomach. When I remembered that I hadn't even considered getting a suitable dress for the occasion they started to flutter all the more violently. I had my one skirt spread out atop my bed while I searched in vain for something pretty to pair up with it. I heard Charlie open the door downstairs and greet someone. A second later I heard his voice drift upwards. "She's upstairs in her room. Can't miss it."

"Thank you, Chief Swan." The voice was light and musical and somehow familiar. I turned away from my closet just in time to see Alice Cullen dance through my door. "Knock. Knock."

"Uhm… hi."

She grinned and tossed a garment bag over my skirt. It sailed smoothly to land flat. "I come bearing gifts. Somehow I doubted that my brother thought to tell you what he planned to wear today. I thought you might want to at least compliment one another and I've had this hanging in my closet for ages."

I couldn't help but stare at the bag mutely for a moment. "Alice, you're quite a bit smaller than me." And she was. She was very thin and I seriously doubted she was even five feet tall.

"Oh, that's too big for me. I ordered it online but they sent the wrong size. It was too much hassle to send it back so I just held onto it in case someone needed it in the future."

My curiosity got the better of me and I unzipped the bag. Inside was a pretty dress in a vibrant shade of sapphire blue. Thin satin ribbons and tone-on-tone embroidery embellished the collar and the cuffs of the sleeves, but only slightly. It was perfect for an afternoon tea or an early spring garden party. And it just screamed 'expensive'.

I gave her a skeptical look. "And Edward just _happens_ to be wearing something that matches today." Yeah, right.

Alice grinned. She looked positively mischievous. "Well, he didn't have much choice. Somehow all his other dress shirts and ties got donated to Good Will yesterday."

At first I thought she was kidding, but the look on her face said she wasn't. I couldn't tell whether I was supposed to be shocked or if I should fall over laughing. "You're evil." It was all I could think to say. She only grinned more brightly.

"I _do_ try my best. After all, it is my duty as a younger sister to torment him whenever possible." She was unrepentant. "Go ahead. Put it on."

She chose that moment to turn away and flip through my modest collection of CDs, giving me some modicum of privacy as I stripped off my bathrobe and pulled the dress over my head. It fit perfectly, and I had some serious doubts that she had gotten the wrong size for something she ordered for herself. I hoped she hadn't stolen the dress out of her sister's closet. Something about Rosalie Hale scared me.

I was trying to fuss with the zipper when Alice turned back around. "Here, I'll get that." She was quick. I barely had time to register just how cold her hands were before the dress was zipped up. A second later Alice had leapt up onto my bed and turned me around by grabbing my shoulders so she could get her hands onto my hair. "Esme's been looking forward to this all week. Edward plays for her when she asks, of course, and he's brilliant at it, but she loves the violin. I thought about taking it up so I could play for her, but it really isn't my thing."

"What is your thing?" How did one politely ask someone to stop tugging your hair? Alice was like a force of nature; I didn't know how to fight against her.

"Shopping, which is a good thing."

"How so?"

"Edward's wardrobe has recently suffered a severe trauma. I'll have to help him with that." She finally stopped pulling my hair. "There. All done. Now you just need a little make up." I started to protest, but it didn't take a genius to realize the futility of doing so. Alice ignored my sigh as she dug through her purse and pulled out several different cosmetics. All the cases matched in a dark purple. The kind of stuff you found at those fancy counters in high-dollar department stores. I surrendered to the inevitable and remained motionless as the pixie still standing on my bed attacked my cheeks and eyelids.

Once she deemed me 'finished', Alice jumped from my mattress and landed with unequalled grace onto the bedroom floor. (I would have fallen flat on my face.) "I hope you don't mind, but Esme dropped me off on her way to Port Angeles. I'll need to catch a ride with you and Chief Swan."

"Uhm… I don't see why not. We should be able to crowd in the front seat, otherwise one of us will have to ride in the back." And it would _not_ be me. I was not going to be tooling around Port Angeles in the back of a police car, even if my father was the chief of police.

"We'll fit. Besides, we'll need the back seat for Esmerelda and your music stand." Well, there was that. She snagged the stand on her way out of my bedroom, leaving me to carry my violin. I scowled as I watched her flit down the stairs without even so much as bumping the stand base into a wall, once more jealous of her grace. Were her feet even touching the floor?

We did all fit in the front seat of Charlie's cruiser as long as I was in the middle. I kept my feet on the passenger side of the hump so as not to get in Charlie's way as he drove. Alice was very skinny, but we were still touching. Perhaps she was too skinny, because she felt like she was freezing. I turned up the heat and cocked the vents in her direction, for which she muttered a perky 'thank you'.

Cars tend to get out of the way for Charlie, which made the trip to Port Angeles go by all the quicker. We pulled up to Freedom Hall and parked in the back near the door to the kitchen entrance. It was a quaint building painted entirely in white and with window dressings in patriotic colors. The kitchen lacked any true commercial feeling, seeming instead to be a cross between what you would expect in someone's home and what you might find in a church fellowship hall.

Jasper was already inside when we arrived, following orders given to him by an elegant woman with caramel colored hair and a warm, kind face. Not quite what I had anticipated for Mrs. Cullen, but I could tell from the way that Jasper obeyed her and the way Alice flitted to her side to greet her that she was Dr. Cullen's wife and their mother. She looked far too young to have to put up with a house full of teenagers.

Alice danced through the door on the other side of the kitchen with my music stand and Esmerelda, leaving me and Charlie to say 'hello' to Esme. She smiled, her teeth as glaring white as those of her children, before giving me a quick hug that was over almost as soon as it began. She felt cool, like Alice had in the car. Perhaps it was a holdover from their time in Alaska. Maybe the weather up there turned everyone into snow people or something.

"It is so good of you to do this for us, Bella. Edward has set up in the other room. They have a lovely baby grand here and the acoustics in the room should work for both of you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh, pleas, it's 'Esme'. You should probably go join Edward and make certain everything is set up to your liking." She gave me a brief squeeze about the shoulders before gently nudging me towards the door. I heard her strike up a conversation with Charlie behind me as I left the kitchen.

I recognized Emmett Cullen from school. It was hard not to notice someone with that much bulk. He was making draping covers over delicate folding chairs that had been lined up in rows on the polished wood floor. It would have been comical to see someone so obviously masculine working with dainty chair covers, but no one would ever have the poor sense to laugh at Emmett. He was too intimidating. Alice was finishing the chairs by tying long, wide sashes of lavender gauze around them and making elaborate bows in the back. She could have been setting up for a wedding reception or bridal shower for all the care she was taking. I again envied her grace. Her hands moved so quickly as she put herself to the task.

"Nervous, Bella?"

I hadn't heard him come up behind me, but thankfully I didn't yelp like a Corgi when I turned to face Edward. He looked heartbreakingly beautiful in a suit of deep, charcoal gray over a shirt that was the exact same shade of blue as my dress. A matching handkerchief was folded and tucked into the breast pocket of his jacket. "Uhm… a little." I tried to ignore how fast my heart was beating. "Nice look. Alice said that your wardrobe suffered a 'trauma'."

His lips quirked into that crooked smile I was learning to love. "Better at the hands of Hurricane Alice than Rosalie."

"Why's that?"

He gave a chuckle. "If Alice does it, she just wants an excuse to buy new things and will replace it all. If Rosalie does it, it's because she's mad at you and you're on your own." He paused for a moment. "Although, in that case Alice will still jump on the excuse to shop."

Why was I having no trouble believing him? "And your parents just let her do that?"

"There are worse things for a teenage girl to be addicted to than shopping." He nodded his head towards the piano. "Shall we make certain Esmerelda's still in tune and warm up a bit?"

I nodded and followed him. Esme was right in that they did have a lovely baby grand here. I didn't know if there was usually something else in the room besides the piano as anything else had been cleared out for this little gathering. The glossy black finish of the piano seemed at home against the honey colored wood of the floors. Filmy sheers filtered the weak light from outside as it tried to break through the tall windows. The room was circular in shape with a ceiling that was just high enough to let sound soar a bit before reflecting it back down. I could hear the reverberation as Edward plucked Esmerelda's A string and compared it to the pitch of the piano and knew that if we sounded badly today we would have no one but ourselves to blame.

"How many people are supposed to be here?" It looked as though Emmett was setting up a good fifty or more chairs.

"At least thirty-five to forty, though some of the women may be bringing guests with them." Edward looked as though he were trying to fight a grin.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Esme might have mentioned that your dad was coming, too. So some of their daughters might be joining them." My confusion must have shown on my face. "Your father is something of a 'hot commodity' around town, Bella."

"Charlie?" The idea was foreign to me.

"Sure. Unmarried. One child who is almost grown. Owns his own house and has a respectable job which gives him a position of standing within the community. And not so much as a hint of scandal attached to his name." He gave a shrug.

"And he's not that hard to look at." Alice was standing at my side, her infectious grin bright. "For someone his age, that is. I'm surprised that the women around here haven't been more aggressive in their pursuit."

"I don't think I'm ready to think of Charlie in dating terms." Perhaps it was a bit selfish of me, but I had just gone through this with Renee. I wasn't certain that I was ready to watch my other parental figure pair up and get married off. Alice just giggled and patted my cheek lightly.

"Don't worry. I don't think anyone is going to catch him today." She sounded so certain of herself. "I'm going to help Esme bring out the refreshments."

Edward and I warmed up on a few simple pieces. We had selected seven for today's performance, most of them rather lengthy. Six were for violin and piano together with the seventh being for piano only. Edward would play the solo piece in the middle to allow me a break to rest my hands. It had been his idea and he had been so adamant about it that I had agreed, knowing full well I'd be grateful for the respite.

We didn't have to wait very long before people started filtering in. The women of the VFW's Lady Auxiliary were mostly older and from a different era. They wore a combination of heavy knit pantsuits and conservative dresses. Most of them wore hats. True to Edward's warnings, some of them were accompanied by women closer to Charlie's age. I wasn't sure if the queasy feeling in my stomach was still from nervousness over the performance or now because several of the daughters were casting interested looks in my father's direction.

The ladies were granted enough time to catch up on the local gossip and news as they selected delicate sandwiches and sweets from the expertly draped tables. They got cups of sparkling punch, tea and coffee before perching themselves upon the dainty chairs. Esme waited for everyone to get settled before signaling that we should begin.

Edward began with a soft introduction, his fingers stroking the piano keys lovingly. I placed my bow to the strings and exhaled before pulling down. The note sang out with crystal clarity and I allowed myself to fall into the music.

It was all too easy for me to forget about the audience. Edward's playing was like a thick blanket wrapping about me and shielding me from the outside world, allowing me to answer his siren's call with my own melody. It was as though there was no one else in this room save for the two of us. Our own little corner of Heaven.

The first piece was over far too quickly, as was the second. The Bach we played next was divided into three movements and took a bit longer, but my heart felt saddened when it was over because it meant that I would have to stop playing for a time. The slight aching in my fingers reminded me that this was a good thing as I stepped away and settled onto a chair set aside for me to listen to Edward.

We had decided that Edward should play one of his own compositions for the solo. To be more accurate, we catered to Esme's not-so-subtle prodding that he play a piece he had written for her. I was looking forward to hearing it again. I'd heard it once during practice and it was exquisite. I watched him play for a bit, then looked out into the crowd. Edward's ability to dazzle anyone female was still working. All eyes were riveted on him as he let his hands drift over the keys. I caught sight of Esme and saw the expression of complete love and adoration on her face as she watched her son. It made me wonder if Charlie and Renee looked the same whenever they watched me play.

The last measure hovered in the air and there was a pregnant pause before everyone started applauding. Edward rose up for a moment to give a polite bow. I gave him his moment and let him sit back down before walking back to the music stand. We played the final three pieces with the same intensity and care as the first half of the set, ending with Vivaldi's 'Il Sospetto'. Might as well save the best for last. We got a standing ovation when we were done, something that is a soothing balm to a musician regardless of the size of the gathering.

We were done, but there was still the part that I always disliked; the people. I've never been able to feel comfortable with people coming up to me to tell me how well I played or how much they enjoyed my music. I always wanted to just sneak out the back and wait for the next performance. And let's be honest, there's something a bit creepy about a seventy-something woman and a pantsuit that smells of mothballs and too-pink lipstick patting your cheek and telling you how pretty you are.

Edward accepted it all with far more graciousness than I, but he seemed to catch on to my distress because he helped to extricate me from the crowd by suggesting that I at least eat one of the small finger sandwiches now that the stress was behind us. There weren't very many left, but a couple of small cucumber sandwiches did take the edge off of my hunger. Alice was by my side with a cup of punch.

"How long should we wait before rescuing your father?" I gave her a puzzled look and she nodded her head over to the other side of the room. A group of four women all around Charlie's age had surrounded him. They called into mind a pod of sharks from an old cartoon, circling a stranded diver. I thought I heard Edward chuckle behind me.

"It's not funny!"

He looked unrepentant. "It is a little funny." I scowled at him. "Bella, I seriously doubt that this is the first time he's had to face this. It's likely a repeat of every town social for at least the last five years. And besides, my mother isn't about to leave the Chief of Police stranded."

I looked back over and saw that he was right. Esme had drifted over to claim Charlie's attention, apparently under the pretense of needing his help with something else. I saw the relief clearly in his face as he went with Jasper to lend a hand with whatever heavy lifting there was to be done. Chief Swan saved; she made her way over to us.

"Bella, thank you so much for doing this. Edward's praise did not do you justice."

I felt my cheeks heat up. "Thank you for asking me, Mrs. Cu… I mean, Esme." She smiled and hugged me gentle. Her cool skin felt soothing to my flaming face but she released me quickly.

"Well, we should start getting things cleaned up. And I think your father wants to make his escape as soon as possible." There was humor in her eyes as she said this. "You'll have to come to our house some time. I know Carlisle would love to hear the pair of you play, but he could not get away from the hospital today."

"I'd like that. Thank you." For once Edward didn't seem to be protesting. I didn't look back at him, just in case I didn't like the expression on his face. I was feeling too good from the performance to put up with his mood swings. I'd deal with his apparent intermittent dislike of me later. Right now he was Edward the Pianist. I could deal with that Edward with much more ease.


	7. Chapter 7

The following week Edward and I committed to performing at the graduation ceremonies rather than the formal Spring concert for the band. According to Edward and Alice the family had plans the same day as the concert, but they should all be in town the day of graduation. For the sake of time, we were just going to do the Spring concerto. Spring for Spring. Alice thought it was cute, and I caught her eying me with a speculative gleam that made me nervous. I just knew she was envisioning some fashionista makeover that was likely to involve heels tall enough that they would ensure my death, or at least maiming. I hadn't even had a chance to get to know the littlest Cullen all that well, and I already knew her well enough to suspect _that_.

"Bella!" A familiar voice pulled me out of my musings. Turning about, I saw Mike Newton hurry to catch up with me, his round face bright with excitement. Or perhaps it was nervousness. It was hard to tell with Mike.

"Hey, Mike." He came to a stop next to me as I swapped out my books for the first half of the day for the ones for the rest of my classes. "What's up?"

He had his books in one arm and shoved his empty hand into the pocket of his jeans, clearly nervous. "Yeah, uh… I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight."

I just barely managed not to groan out loud. Mike was becoming more and more persistent in his attempts to get me to agree to a date. "Sorry, Mike, but I've already got plans."

His face fell, giving the impression of a kicked puppy. "What kind of plans?"

Crap. "Oh… well…" I was a lousy liar, but I had to think of something.

"Bella!" The perky, high-pitched, bell-like voice summoned the arrival of the petite and ever-energetic Alice Cullen. She seemed to appear at my side like magic, her smile disturbingly bright. Mike backed away a few steps, his eyes wary. "Mom's going to call Chief Swan and get the all clear from him. I'll ride home with you so you can pack and then we'll head over to my house." I was about to ask her what she was talking about when she gave a squeal that might summon every canine in the state and clapped her hands. "This is going to be so much fun! I haven't had a sleep over since we moved down here. It'll be _such_ a nice change to have a girl around who _isn't_ my sister."

It was official. I was in love with Alice Cullen. "That's great." If they ever made same-sex marriage legal, I would propose to her. Hope Jasper didn't mind. "Are you sure it's all right with your parents?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding? They might like you even more than they like us." She linked her arm around mine and led me away from Mike, chatting brightly about pedicures and slumber party games. Once we were out of earshot and gave a sigh of relieve and squeezed her arm tightly to my side.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You are a saint, and an angel and your brother should really give you more respect."

She laughed. "To which one are you referring? They both qualify for that statement." Clearly she didn't consider Jasper to be a 'brother'.

"That was a stroke of genius, cooking up a sleep over."

"Yes, it was. And now I have a great excuse to have some company that won't be spending most of the night trying to pick a fight with me."

Wait… what? "Uhm… Alice… that was just to get Mike off my case… wasn't it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Bell-la, what if he checks up on our story? We'll have to carry through with it."

"But your mom isn't calling my dad."

"Actually, she is." Her pixie face broke into another bright grin. "I asked her this morning, planning to invite you over tonight anyway." She acted as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What if I'd said 'no'?"

She gave me another maddening grin. "You wouldn't have. I know these things."

Edward was more brooding than usual during Biology. I had half a mind to poke him with my pencil to see if I could make him madder. We had a lab to do, putting together a model of a DNA fragment. Any verbal responses he gave me were clipped and a bit terse, and he seemed to be making a concentrated effort not to touch me. I felt a queasy sensation in my gut as all the progress we had made over the past couple of months unraveled.

Gym wasn't as humiliating as usual. We did mainly floor exercises, such as sit-ups and pushups, so there were nowhere near as many chances for me to trip, fall or maim someone. I changed back into my jeans and sweater quickly and hurried out to the parking lot to find Alice waiting by my truck. Glancing over to the shiny Volvo I saw Edward glaring at his sister from across the parking lot. "Uhm… Alice… are you sure this is a good idea? Your brother seems to be a bit pissy today."

She waved off my concern. "Ignore him. He likes to take the whole concept of 'brooding artist' to heart. This is our time. Girl time." She climbed into the passenger side of the bench seat, looking classy and elegant and horribly out of place inside my rusty old beater of a truck. Still, she looked as though she lost none of her enthusiasm. She was practically vibrating on the seat. I hoped she didn't manage to shake the truck apart. I drove to Charlie's house and Alice was out of the truck before the engine managed to quiet down fully. She hurried to the front door and waited impatiently, bouncing on the balls of her feet. I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes as I walked up the steps and got the key down from the doorframe, unlocking the house and letting her inside.

Alice attacked my closet with a vengeance. I couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious because I just knew she was judging my wardrobe even if she wasn't saying anything openly derogatory about it. Everything she and her siblings wore on a day-to-day basis screamed 'designer'. Just the boots she was wearing probably cost more than half of my clothes combined. Still, she managed to settle on a few things and tuck them into a small duffle bag Charlie had in the hall closet, though how she knew it was there I couldn't fathom.

I glanced over at Esmerelda's case, considering whether or not I should take her. On one hand, Edward would be there and we could get some practice in. On the other hand, Alice had invited me over for some 'girl time', and it seemed a bit rude for me to carry my violin along when she wouldn't be participating. I stifled a sigh as I left the case sitting there by the wall and walked with Alice back to the truck.

Alice played navigator to help me get us to the Cullens' home. I swallowed as I turned off the engine and let my truck shake into silence. I had never felt so out of place as I did at that moment. I didn't even own nice enough clothes and shoes to set foot into _that_ house. The pixie leapt from the cab of the truck and dashed to the door with my duffle in hand. I heard her call out for her mother as she opened the door. Screwing my courage to the sticking place, I followed her inside.

The inside of the house was just as lovely as the inside. Everything was done in white and pale creams, the starkest contrast of which was a dark piano situated in a place of honor off to the side. It was the kind of décor that I would usually ruin by tripping while carrying a plate of food or a glass of something. Surely Alice had heard the rumors of my clumsiness about school. Why would she risk her mother's beautiful home this way?

"Bella! I'm so glad Alice invited you for the evening." Esme Cullen came into the room, her smile bright and wide. I stammered out a 'thank you' even as she wrapped her arms about me and gave me a gentle hug. "I thought you might be hungry after school, so I made a pan of brownies. They're still warm, and there's milk in the fridge. Help yourself when you're ready." It wasn't until she released me and freed me from whatever sweet perfume she wore that I could detect the brownies. The warm, chocolate aroma made my mouth water.

"Thank you Mrs. Cu… I mean, Esme."

"Bell-la!" Alice came hurrying down the stairs with a large purple tote over one shoulder. "C'mon! I want to give you a pedicure. I've got the perfect shade of polish!"

I looked at the seemingly innocent purple tote. Like as not it was filled with small, silver instruments of feminine torture that Alice was just itching to use on me. "But… brownies…"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Just grab one and come into the living room. Esme won't care if you eat in there." Esme might… after I tripped and the brownie flipped off the plate to land on her white carpet. I was trying to figure out how to word my argument when I felt a plate and a glass being gently pushed into my hands. Esme had apparently anticipated Alice's desires and had gotten me a brownie and milk. Her hands gently ushered me towards the living room where Alice was already setting up on the floor before a massive, overstuffed, white sofa. She grinned at me and patted the cushions, indicating for me to sit down.

I sank into the sofa, carefully minding my snack and drink so as not to spill any as Alice attached my feet by pulling off my shoes and socks. "I should warn you, I'm not very good at this kind of thing. I probably won't make a pretty job of your toes when it's your turn."

"Oh, I don't need a pedicure. I just had one the other day. I just like making people pretty." She started working on my feet, her cold hands firm but gentle as she trimmed, filed and buffed to hear heart's content. "Usually I just have Rosalie or Esme to work with, but they get tired of me after a while."

"So you brought home a new victim?" Emmett's booming voice came in from behind us, making me jump a bit. "Hey there, Belly-Bells!" He ruffled my hair and stole a bite of my brownie. I thought I heard Alice make a disgusted noise from the floor.

"Emmett, that's gross! Bella doesn't want your germs!"

"I don't have anything contagious. I promise." He winked at me and leapt over the back of the sofa to land on the cushions next to me. The whole piece of furniture bounced from his sudden weight, making Alice squeal.

"Stop that! I don't want you jiggling her! You might make me mess up!"

"But I wanna play." He reached for a remote and turned on the massive TV hanging on the wall. I peered around and saw that by the end of the couch was a cleverly designed cabinet housing an Xbox, a PS3, a Game Cube and a Wii. Emmett was reaching for one of the Xbox controllers as Alice glared.

"You can sit on the floor to play."

"It's not as comfortable."

"I don't care! You dance around too much when you're playing. Get on the floor." Emmett made a face at her. I deep, amused chuckle preceded Jasper as he walked into the room.

"Jazz, tell your woman to stop bossing me around."

"I ain't getting in the middle of this one." Jasper's deep voice was tinged with mirth as he came further into the room and lowered himself down to sit next to Alice, putting her and me between him an Emmett as he reached out between us to accept a controller from his brother. "You should ask yourself if you're brave enough to risk ruining her job on Bella."

Emmett seemed to weigh this idea for a moment. "Are you going to do a design? I could totally do a design for her."

Alice arched a brow at her. "You are _not_ going to paint flames on Bella's toes." I couldn't help myself. I snorted.

"Why not? It'll make her go faster. Everyone knows things go faster if you paint flames on them."

Jasper chuckled as he selected his character for whatever shoot-em-up game they were going to play. "I'm surprised you haven't painted some on your ass. Maybe then you could outrun Edward for a change." The idea made Alice break out into a peal of giggles. Even Emmett laughed at that one. Still, Emmett did move down to the floor as he and Jasper started to play. Alice bent herself to the task of pretty-ing my toes.

After she was done, I had to sit still so the enamel could dry. I wasn't even allowed to run my plate and glass to the kitchen. Alice did it for me, coming back with a fresh glass of milk for me to drink as she moved on to playing with my hair. I even tried my hand and playing the game with Emmett, only to have my guy die spectacularly five times before giving up and letting Jasper take back over. I drank my milk as I watched them. Emmett charged into everything head-on, but Jasper relied more on tactics and stealth. They were pretty evenly matched.

Once my toes were dry, Esme came through to let us know that dinner was ready. Apparently the Cullens rarely did a formal, sit-down meal. We were supposed to just wander into the kitchen and graze at our leisure. Alice urged me to do so while she went up to change the sheets on her bed, stating she had forgotten to do it earlier. Waiting on a warming tray on the counter was the most delicious looking lasagna I had ever seen. The tomato sauce and cheese were still bubbling and the aroma curled around me. I took one of the plates stacked up to the side and cut myself a piece that was perhaps bigger than I needed before setting myself at a small bar off the back of the island. No way was I taking anything based in tomatoes out into the living room. I had been lucky with the brownie, but white attracted tomato sauce like a magnet.

I heard the front door open and close, followed a bit later by what appeared to be an angel come down from on high. The forkful of lasagna paused halfway to my mouth as a blonde-haired Adonis entered the kitchen, setting a dark bag on the counter.

"You must be Bella. Esme mentioned you were going to be sleeping over. I'm Carlisle." He extended hand in my direction. I dropped the fork and shook it. Ice cold, like the rest of his family's. Ice cold and pale as alabaster. Maybe the Alaskan cold seeped in to your bones, making you into snow people.

"Pleasure to meet you." About that time Esme came gliding into the kitchen, looking beautiful and perfect and like the previously unknown missing piece of Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Their faces seemed to light up the second they looked at one another. It was almost too wonderful to look at without going mad from envy. I had long since gotten used to the idea of being from a 'broken home', but seeing the Cullens together made me suddenly long for what Alice, Edward and the others had.

"Long day at the hospital?"

"Rather quiet, actually." Carlisle rubbed Esme's forearm where it rested in the crook of his own. "Not much happens in Forks."

Esme placed a kiss against his cheek. "I see you've met Bella." She smiled in my direction. "Is dinner all right?"

I realized my mouth was gaping and I shut it with a click. "It's… wonderful. Best lasagna ever. I've never been able to get mine to turn out just right." I looked down at my plate and lifted one of the noodles with my fork. "What kind of sausage did you use? Maybe that's where I've been messing up."

She gave me a pleased smile. "I'd be more than happy to share the recipe with you. And if there's anything left you should take it home to your father."

"She should. I'm fairly certain Chief Swan's diet has improved greatly since Bella came home. I was just waiting for him to have a cholesterol induced heart attack before."

I rolled my eyes. "I keep trying to convince him that man cannot live by fried fish and take-out pizza alone, but he's proving rather stubborn." They laughed, the same tinkling, musical laugh as their children. Weird.

"Bella, I thought perhaps you and Edward might play for us. Carlisle didn't get to join us at the party, so he missed out."

Oh. I blinked. "Uhm… I didn't bring my violin." Her face fell. "It's just… Alice invited me and I thought it would be rude if I came here and spent all my time practicing."

She recovered. "Of course. I hadn't thought of that." She still looked somewhat disappointed, but Carlisle smiled and squeezed her hand.

"You can play mine."

I blinked again. "You play?"

"I dabbled when I was younger, but it was never my passion. I still have my violin, though." Esme's face brightened. "It's in my study. I'll go and get it for you." He gave his wife another kiss and walked out. Esme's good cheer had returned full-force as she waited for me to finish my lasagna. I made quick work of it, chasing it down with a bottle of coke from the fridge before setting my dishes in the sink and joining her out in the main part of the house. Edward was already there, going over pieces of sheet music. A music stand had appeared out of nowhere to stand near the piano and Alice was directing Jasper as he set up chairs in 'just the right arrangement'. Apparently she was not the least bit upset to be sharing me. And where had Edward been hiding all this time?

Carlisle came down with his violin, sans case. It looked old. Very old. As in made Esmerlda look fresh-off-the-work-table old. I also noted that it didn't have any fine tuners in the tailpiece. I accepted it gingerly from him, smiling my thanks before inspecting the bow. He had tightened it for me, and the slight white sheen of fresh rosin could be detected. Placing the instrument beneath my chin I pulled the bow across the strings experimentally and found that he had tuned her as well. Whether or not it was his 'passion', Dr. Cullen took great care of his instrument.

The family claimed their seats, with the exception of Rosalie. None of the others seemed to be bothered by her absence as they settled in, and I was somehow not bothered to be giving an impromptu recital in my bare feet with my freshly painted toes sinking into Esme's lovely carpet. Edward and I leaned against his piano for a time, debating quietly over the selection and I noticed that several of the pieces were still crisp and without smudges or yellowing, indicating that they were recently purchased. The arrangements were for both violin and piano. Something about summoned a fluttering sensation in my belly and I could feel my cheeks pinken for no apparent reason. We decided on four selections that were beautiful but not overly complex, wanting to play it safe since there had been no time to practice.

I let Edward count us off. The sound made by the strings inside the piano and on the violin translated to music, swirling out from and around us and filling up the room like something organic and growing. Carlisle's violin was magical; it's down rich and seductive and unlike anything I had played before. It almost felt like I was being unfaithful to Esmerelda, but I could not bring myself to feel too terribly guilty as we continued to play.

Three of the four pieces were light and playful, and play we did. The melodies were familiar from recordings, though I hadn't ever played two of them. I took the liberty of tinkering with the notes here and there, and Edward did the same, giving the arrangements our own special touch. The last song was slow and beautiful, reminiscent of young love and romance. I lost myself in it, letting my memories, my knowledge of how violin strings sounded and where the different notes were located and an indulgent fantasy of a certain pianist holding my hand on a moonlit stroll to take me through it. I hadn't noticed that I had lost myself so completely until we finished and I could feel a single tear threatening to escape down my cheek as the last note echoed and faded in the room.

Our small audience got up onto their feet with applause. Emmett added a shrill whistle, which threatened to rupture eardrums, and called for an encore. We didn't give in. We were too busy laughing at his antics. Carlisle was smiling at us as he hugged his wife into his side with one arm. "Esme wasn't exaggerating; the pair of you are wonderful together. Edward, you'll need to bring Bella over more often for practice. There's no need for you to restrict yourself to when the music room can be open."

I didn't comment, not wanting to add any pressure on what was already a touchy subject with Edward, and I was surprised when he verbally agreed with his father. Huh. Either he was finally recovering from whatever had crawled up his backside or he was just an amazingly dutiful son who would ignore his own discomforts for the sake of his parents. Most teenagers would through a fit, but the Cullens apparently had done a magnificent job instilling better manners into their brood.

"Thank you for letting me borrow your violin, Mr. Cullen. She's a beautiful instrument."

Carlisle looked pleased at the compliment. "Thank you for playing her, Bella. I suppose it's a shame for a Stradivarius to go untouched for so long, but as I said, music wasn't my passion."

The world stopped turning. Surely I misheard him. "You mean… a model Stradivarius… right?"

He shook his head. "No, it's a genuine Stradivarius. I received her as a gift a long time ago."

"A… gift?" Someone gave him a violin worth anywhere from one to three million dollars as a gift?

My hands started to shake. Fearful that I might drop the precious instrument I gripped her with both hands and held her out towards Carlisle. "Take her, please."

Carlisle's brow creased with worry. I thought I heard Edward chuckling behind me, but I couldn't be certain with the blood now pounding against my ears. "Is something wrong, Bella?"

"I'm fairly certain she's afraid she'll break it, Dad." Yeah, Edward was laughing.

"Please?" My hands were really shaking now. "I'm the clumsiest person on the face of the earth. If anyone can trip and break it, I would." I concentrated on not dropping the violin until Carlisle removed it from my hands. I could tell from the way the corners of his mouth were twitching that he was trying not to laugh. He seriously underestimated my ability to damage things. Oh, crap! Could the moisture from my breath ruin the varnish or something? Just be certain I quickly covered my mouth and nose with my hand and backed up. Edward lost it, giving way to a booming laugh that would have made me weak in the knees were I not instantly furious with him. I whipped around to glare at the beautiful boy sitting at the piano, my hands balling up onto my hips. "I'm so glad I amuse you, Mr. Cullen."

His shoulders were still shaking. "I'm glad you're so amusing, Miss Swan."

"Edward!" Esme's clear admonishment only made him laugh harder.

"I am seriously considering hitting you right now." The words came out as a growl. For some reason this seemed to crack up the object of my ire any more.

"I would sincerely discourage that. You would only end up hurting yourself."

The sad thing was, he was probably right. Unable to think of a come back, I huffed and stamped my foot. It looked like it was going to be a long sleepover.


End file.
